For years, Kimberley native Scott Jacklin has played hockey under a variety of coaches, in a variety roles and in a variety of places.
Now, he’s returning home with a wealth of knowledge and a new program — Shiftd — to help other aspiring hockey players make the most of their individual abilities.
“We’re a video-analysis company geared towards younger kids,” Jacklin said. “We have their parents videotape the games, they send [the footage] to us, we take stats from [within] the game and the stats we take are a little bit different from normal stats.
“You have current stats and relevant stats. We take the relevant stats and bring them to life so that the kids can see their progress within the game.”
The 26-year-old Jacklin is one of a team of professional hockey players involved in bringing Shiftd to life, joining Brandon Mashinter (Chicago Blackhawks) and Mark Barberio (Montreal Canadiens) amongst others.
On the ladies’ side of the puck, 2014 Canadian Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Wakefield is also a part of the Shiftd team, making for a well-rounded and balanced group of experienced experts.
Jacklin is set to host an information on Wednesday, July 20, at the Kimberley Civic Centre (6 p.m.) in an effort to introduce East Kootenay minor hockey players to the benefits of Shiftd. Players interested in the program are simply encouraged to show up at the Civic Centre at 6 p.m.
Having graduated from the NCAA ranks, Jacklin just completed his rookie season of pro hockey in the ECHL, splitting time between the Elmira Jackals and Brampton Beast.
“I learned a lot, it’s a little bit of a different world than lots of people might think,” Jacklin said. “It’s not all roses. But I learned a lot and kind of played in a couple different roles that I haven’t played in the past six years.
“Obviously, my goal is to make it to the next level. Hopefully I can get an American League call up this year and try to show my worth up there, see what happens. That’s my goal this year is to do well on the Coast [ECHL] and get called up at some point during the year.”
While he continues to chase his love for the game, intent on moving up within the pro world, Jacklin also knows he has to plan for a life when playing the game is no longer an option. It happens for everyone and will happen for him at some point. He just isn’t sure when.
It’s his combined love for the game, desire to mentor tomorrow’s stars and an eye on his own future that helped bring Jacklin into the fold with Shiftd.
After reviewing footage and breaking down a player’s game, the experts at Shiftd provide detailed analysis, completely backed with relevant statistics and notes. From there, an individual player report will be compiled, including recommendations from the Shiftd professionals.
Finally, a one-on-one consultation between coach and athlete will be arranged.
As happened in baseball many years ago, there has been an awakening to the world of advanced or relevant statistics within the game of hockey over the past five years.
One of the more commonly heard terms within hockey relevant statistics is Corsi, which measures the shot attempt differential of a player while he or she is on the ice. This means every shot on goal, blocked shot, wide shot — at both ends of the rink — combines to give a player his or her Corsi rating. Ultimately, this is intended to provide an athlete or coach with an indication of how a player can generate chances at the offensive end of the rink, while also preventing them at the defensive end.
Corsi ratings are simply one relevant statistic Jacklin and his crew of coaches will pinpoint and timestamp within a player’s game in an effort to help highlight good decisions and where improvements can be made.
Jacklin and his crew bill Shiftd as the next step in the evolution of hockey alongside technology.
“The coaches we have are all current or ex-professional hockey players,” Jacklin said. “Some of the guys have NHL experience that are on this coaching staff.
“Most of them have been to the highest level…[We have] knowledge of the game as far as how kids can improve on an individual basis. Most coaches are just trying to improve the team game.”
Jacklin played a total of 90 KIJHL games — split between the Kimberley Dynamiters and Columbia Valley Rockies — accruing 27 goals and 75 points before graduating on to a successful career in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
In 209 career BCHL games (Cowichan Valley Capitals, Trail Smoke Eaters), the 6-foot, 185-pound left-winger registered 65 goals and 194 points, vaulting himself into a four-year college career at Robert Morris University (48-59-107 in 143 games).
He spent the 2015-16 in the ECHL, splitting time between the Elmira Jackals and Brampton Beast, collecting eight goals and 21 points in 46 games.
More information on Shiftd is available at www.shiftd.io. Interested players and/or parents unable to attend the July 20 information session can contact Jacklin directly via phone (647-574-3029) or email (scottajacklin@gmail.com).
